First published in Tulay, Fortnightly Chinese-Filipino Digest 24, no. 7 (September 6-19, 2011): 5-6. Although it ranks only 28th among Chinese surnames in the Philippines, the surname 柯 (Ke in Mandarin, Cua in Hokkien) is of special significance in the Philippines because it is the Chinese surname of Domingo Lamco, the great-great-grandfather of our national […]
First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 24, no. 5 (August 9-22, 2011): 5. The surname 鄭 (Zheng in Mandarin, Ty in Hokkien) ranks 21st among common surnames in China, and 19th among Chinese in the Philippines. The origin of surname Ty is quite simple. It originated in 806 BC when Emperor Zhou Xuan Wang […]
First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 24, no. 3 (July 5-18, 2011): 5-6. 郭 (Guo in Mandarin, Que in Hokkien) is the 16th most common surname in China and also ranks 18th among Chinese surnames in the Philippines. The surname originated from the names of two ancient states in China, headed by Ji Zhong […]
First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 23, no. 23 (May 23-June 13, 2011): 5. Surname 蘇 (Su in Mandarin, So in Hokkien) ranks 41st in China among Chinese surnames and 17th among Chinese in the Philippines. The origin of surname Su is quite interesting. It is linked to the herb su chao (蘇草), literally […]
First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 23, no. 22 (April 19-May 9, 2011): 5. The surname 葉 (Ye in Mandarin, Yap in Hokkien), ranks 42nd among surnames in China and 16th in the Philippines. This is deceiving because there are actually more of the clan members than meets the eye. The surname’s origin underwent […]
First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 23, no. 20 (March 22-April 4, 2011 Tulay Fortnightly): 5-6. Various family associations in the Philippine Chinese community represent more than one surname. Yet, only one of them truly represents two surnames where clan members actually descended from a common ancestor: Chan (曾) and Cu (邱). This is […]
First published in Tulay, Chinese-Filipino Digest 1, no. 3 (August 1998): 6, with original title, “One Year at Kaisa.” Kaisa Para Sa Kaunlaran had its baptism of fire on that infamous 28th day of August 1987. The organization was launched at the National Press Club supposedly in a press conference that day. Unfortunately, Gringo Honasan […]
First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 23, no. 18 (February 15-March 7, 2011): 5. Although Chinese surname 莊 (Ching in Hokkien, Zhuang in Mandarin) ranks outside the 100 most populous surnames in China, it ranks 12th among Chinese in the Philippines. We can trace its origin to Chu Zhuang Wang (楚莊王). He was king […]
First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 24, no. 24 (May 22-June 12, 2012): 5. Chinese surname 丁 (Ting in Hokkien, Ding in Mandarin) ranks 28th among Chinese in the Philippines and 48th in China. The Chinese character 丁 is quite simple: the capital letter T with a hook at the bottom of the vertical […]
First published in Tulay Fortnightly, Chinese-Filipino Digest 24, no. 22 (April 24-May 7, 2012): 5. Chu in Hokkien, Zhu in Mandarin, 朱ranks 27th among the Chinese in the Philippines. In China, it ranks 13th, mainly because Zhu is the imperial surname during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). China’s emperors had tens or even hundreds of wives […]